The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association released their Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls from each NCAA Division across the nation and the Southern Utah women’s basketball team was ranked No. 5 in all of Division I.
The Thunderbirds finished the 2019-20 academic year with a team GPA of 3.742, just .051 off of the top spot that went to the University of South Dakota.
Southern Utah was the top-ranked team in the Big Sky with the next closest team being Northern Arizona at No. 20. Montana was the only other Big Sky team in the Top 25 at No. 22.
The Lady T-Birds accomplished this feat while also having one of their best seasons in recent memory. As a team, they won 18 games, the most since the 2013-14 season, had their second-best all-time scoring season with 2,186 points scored and set a new record for three-pointers made in a season with 197.
“The WBCA applauds these head coaches and their teams for their commitment to academic excellence,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “We appreciate and value the hard work and dedication the players and coaches have put forth to thrive in the classroom and on the basketball court.”
Founded in 1981, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport.
The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and two-year GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2019-20 season is the 25th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.
To to stay up to date on SUU’s women’s basketball program, visit suu.edu.
To read the original article published on Aug. 11, click here.
Story by: Kyle Birnbrauer
Photos courtesy of: suutbirds.com
